Articles By Jack Cush, MD
Second Efforts in Treating RA Partial Responders
The results of a treat-to-target (T2T) combination therapy trial in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) show that if patients fail to respond initially, then a second, more intensified regimen can turn initial nonresponders into responders.
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Good Outcomes with TNF Blocker Use During RA Pregnancies
A prospective cohort study of treatment and pregnancy outcomes in women with RA shows that TNF inhibitor use during pregnancy did not increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, but instead led to more positive outcomes such as fewer low-birth-weight deliveries.
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Intravenous Immune Globulin in Dermatomyositis
Few drugs have been studied well in the treatment of dermatomyositis (DM) and only recently has intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) been granted FDA approval for the treatment of DM, based on this pivotal trial.
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RheumNow Podcast – “That’s Not My Name” (10.7.2022)
Dr. Jack Cush goes off on "Untitling" (not using proper names/titles) in the clinic, in addition to reports on rheumatologist salaries, new drugs in phase 1-3 development and the range of COVID-19 MSK symptoms -- all from the past week on RheumNow.com.
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Physician Burnout Rising
The NY Times has reported results of a study showing that nearly two-thirds of doctors are experiencing at least one symptom of burnout, with a marked increase since the onset of the pandemic. These findings suggest that burnout rates amongst US doctors have risen to alarming levels.
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Rheumatology Salaries and Career Choices
A recent doximity report shows how rheumatology salaries increase by years in practice. Their salary estimates are based on Doximity acquired data from over 200,000 physicians, along with publicly-available career and salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S.
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Women Doctors More Likely to Be Called By First Name in Patient Messages
Female physicians were more likely to be called by their first names in electronic medical record (EMR) patient portal messaging, researchers found.
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Transitioning JIA to Adult Care is Problematic
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) may start in adolescence and extend into adulthood.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Need to Quit Smoking ASAP
While it is known that smoking ups the risk of developing RA, its effect on outcomes in those with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is less known. A report from an early arthritis registry shows that current smoking increases disease activity and lowers health-related quality of life.
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Causes of Death in Lupus
The California Lupus Surveillance Project has longitudinally followed included systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cases and shown that overall, the leading cause of death was cardiovascular disease (CVD), followed by rheumatic disease and hematologic/oncologic conditions.
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